I feel like I’m doing something of value. I really want to hear the stories, and it fills me up as a person. It’s the reason that I go to conventions. But the response from people, and the stories that I hear at conventions have changed my life on a cellular level. And that has become the motivation for me to continue working in this business, even more than the voice-over itself.Īs much fun as it is – I love voice-over, I love doing it, it’s the best job I’ve ever had…. And I take it very seriously, and I see the impact that these shows have on people’s lives. You know, people saying that it was a voice from their childhood, and that sort of thing. Steve Blum: It’s a lot of responsibility! (laughs) That was a really weird thing to hear in the beginning. Samantha Ferreira (Anime Herald): As someone who’s been in this industry for more than twenty years at this point, how does it feel to know that your voice has been the voice of a generation, where people grew up with the roles that you played? And the fact that people are still talking about it twenty years later is a testament to how good the show was! It, honestly, was our job just not to screw it up! (laughs) So it was a great gateway, I think, for a lot of people to get into anime. The soundtrack is amazing, a lot of film noir references and pop culture references from the States. It’s just so beautifully constructed all the way through. We started doing conventions, and seeing what the response was through America, and it became sort of a definitive piece that brought a lot of people into the fray that would not even consider watching dubbed anime up until that point.Īnd a lot of elements I think contributed to that. And, so working in that vacuum, we did what we could, and then we walked away, and we didn’t think about it again until it was a year or two later. And it wasn’t terribly popular in Japan at the time, so we had the luxury on that show of just making it as good as we possibly could for us, because we thought was so awesome.Īnd we had a little more time for editing and stuff, so Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, the director was able to take a little more time, and do things more carefully than we would on other shows. Steve Blum: We had no idea! As with all the anime shows back in the day, we had no idea if anybody would see them. WSGU Center for for Community Media: When you first started working on Cowboy Bebop, were you aware of how much of a success the show was going to be? And if not, how did people’s responses to the show defy your expectations? WSGU Center for for Community Media: We’re big fans of your show Cowboy Bebop. Thanks much to Steve Blum for sitting with us, and to Anime Boston for setting everything up. The conversation lasted just an hour, but it was clearly one that many in the room would remember for a lifetime. And, through it all, Blum was happy to share his stories and offer his insights. With a charming sense of humor and a refreshing candor, we found the conversation taking turns from Bebop, to voice acting, to fire extinguisher inspection and condom cleanup (yes, really). Within the first moments, it became apparent that Blum, himself, may be a bigger character than those he’s given life to. Those worries, though, quickly prove to be unfounded.Īt Anime Boston, Blum sat with representatives from seven outlets, taking questions from an audience eager to know the man behind the mic. Having voiced so many iconic characters, though, the thought of sitting with Blum for an interview immediately becomes a daunting prospect. Some know him as Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel others as friendly Toonami mascot T.O.M others still as Wolverine, Starscream, and Vincent Valentine. He’s a near-constant in the geek subcultures, with literally hundreds or roles under his belt, and a sound that is almost instantly recognizable. In this day and age, it’s difficult to imagine a person who isn’t familiar with Steve Blum’s work. Interview With Steve Blum Location: Anime Boston 2018 Interview Date:
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